House OKs Hire Limits by Religious Groups

[Khephra]

WASHINGTON -- The House voted Wednesday to extend a program that lets religious groups restrict employment to members of their faith in hiring for community programs financed by federal grants.

Democrats failed to win approval of several amendments that would have ended the practice. The Bush administration threatened a veto of the Community Service Block Grant Act if it removed "the current hiring autonomy of religious organizations."

But Democrats succeeded in putting the House on record in support of extending unemployment benefits for six months for people who exhaust their state aid. Congress has refused to approve another extension of federal unemployment benefits.

An amendment authored by Rep. George Miller, D-Calif, passed by a 227-179 vote, although by itself, the measure would provide no additional money. Thirty-nine Republicans voted for the amendment.

more...................

http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-faith-based,0,1369707.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. Religious groups have a choice

Hire only people from their group and get no federal money or have open hiring and refuse federal money. To allow religious groups to restrict hiring while receiving federal funds is a violation of the seperation of church and state, imho. Hope this goes before the courts.

[zanana]

2. Not only a church-state issue.

It also allows discrimination on religious grounds. Discrimination is the same, whether it's prejudice because of color, sex or religion.

[BlueEyedSon]

3. No, purely church/state.

If a religious program is funded by the gov't, it should not be allowed to descriminatein hiring. This is a major (and unconstitutional) error.

Religious organizations may legally restrict their hiring to within their faith. In other words the gov't can't impose liberal hiring practices on them (separation works both ways!). Not sure what laws/court decisions support this.

[Mari333]

4. Watch how fast these cases clog the courts

and this will get tossed out after long expensive legal battles. They cant use our tax monies to discriminate.
Another push by *bU$h admin to suck up to his fading fast base of theocrats.

[leesa]

5. Other religious groups have got to start excercising these 'privileges'

ASAP. And they have to do it loudly and go to court if they don't get what they need. What a mess this will be.

[Mari333]

6. Yes. Get a Satanist church (they exist) to acquire FB funds

and demand they only hire other Satanists
That would raise a stink, and work.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

7. Even better...

tell a Christian applicant they are not being hired because of their religion -- and see how fast they raise a stink.

It cuts both ways, idiots.